


LADIES : Kingdoms of Asia

by mmel04



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE, 1TEAM (Band), A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band), LOONA (Korea Band), Mamamoo, ONEUS (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Asian Kingdoms, Court Intrigues, Empress Soyeon, Ennemies Kingdoms, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, K-Pop crossover, Love, M/M, Queen Hwasa, Queen ViVi, Revenge, Royalty, Tensions at the castle, War, korea - Freeform, long story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:34:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29040204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmel04/pseuds/mmel04
Summary: At the Korean court, imperial forces clash in subtle alliance games. But personal intrigues, secular hatreds, and above all the love of young princes and princesses, intermingle to form a mysterious universe with many facets. The almost intrinsic question then arises: who will win in the final fight, love, or power?Yongsun is a young woman forced to run from home with her little sister, Wheein; because of the Amassador Moonbyul's order from Queen Hwasa II. But their life at the Court gets quite complicated when the Queen is threatened by Japanese forces.
Relationships: Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa/Jung Wheein, Choi Yerim | Choerry/Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul, Jeon Heejin/Kim Hyunjin, Jeon Soyeon/Song Yuqi, Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Kim Youngjo | Ravn/Lee Seoho, Lee Donghun/Park Junhee | Jun, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye, Wong Kahei | ViVi/Yuchan, Yeh Shuhua/Minnie Nicha Yontararak
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

The smell of twilight at the end of July was incredibly sweet. The young woman could have stayed there for hours, following the course of the sun, observing one by one the arrival of each star. But the scent of pines, filling the immense forest of her father's property, was only a bulwark against the outside world as long as she was allowed to imagine it.  
Also very quickly, the radiant young woman was disturbed in her thoughts by the sound of rapid footsteps of the youngest valet of the house, the one who was always charged to come and find her. He planted himself in front of her in a hasty bow, announcing his reason for the visit, although still out of breath.

"Miss Yongsun, Your Father would like to introduce you to ... Someone Important." "

"Someone important? Is this a person whose name you have forgotten or do not want to give me? "

“I… Forgive me, Miss, but I'm afraid your Father is getting impatient. "

In a second, ever more neglected bow, he turned on his heel and briskly walked back to where he had come from. Yongsun was particularly intrigued by the valet's demeanor, usually so helpful and prone to joking. He hadn't even responded to her provocation. After a deep breath of the clean air that surrounded her, she joined the path that would take her home. If that someone was so important, she would happily show them the full height of her rank.

• • • [! change of POV, not Yongsun anymore !]

She sat down in the bloody red embroidered silk armchair her host pointed out to her, delighted to be able to estimate at a glance that this rare gilded pearl represented barely more than half of her monthly income. She voluntarily chose a position bordering on neglect, ready to show this old aristocrat that she was far from a woman in business.  
The man took a seat at the other end of a glass chess board, carefully spreading his papers on it. He put on his monocle, the ambient dimness of that low-ceilinged room certainly not helping his heavy eyes.  
She noticed that a thin film of sweat covered her forehead and nose, encouraging her to stretch her sarcastic smile further. Bullying men was not an ability offered to all women, and certainly not to her; but out of necessity for her profession, she had learned to master it to perfection.  
The opposite one cleared his throat, to give himself courage, then gave her the first data.  
The negotiations could begin.

• • •

Janet, the first maid, announced Yongsun to the door of the small living room, which her father came to open. Both the maid and the daughter discovered a pale-skinned man, suddenly aged several years in less than an hour in this room. The great sovereign of unparalleled power in deer or wild boar hunts today looked like a hunted prey, unable to face his end.  
The eldest of the Lord's daughters entered slowly, feeling from the moment she laid eyes on this woman all the quiet power of her aura, and she understood that if her father faced her in any debate, she would undeniably take the advantage.

“My daughter, this is Madam Ambassador. "

She bowed in a deep court curtsey, suddenly grasping the importance of this visitor.

“I am delighted to meet you, Ambassador. "

"Not as much as me, Miss ...?" "

“Yongsun. "

Her father had answered hastily for her. She was not offended, until she saw the teasing, almost mocking smile of this Ambassador who greeted her like a man, even allowing herself to kiss her hand. She might have appreciated her father's reaction, but given the worries painted on her face, she didn't hope for such a thing. She was a little disappointed with the obvious legibility of her father, which she had never suspected in any other context. But he had enough wit to speak again and introduce it.

“Ma'am, Yongsun is the eldest of my two daughters. She received the education of a future king, if I may say so, one that women generally do not have access to. She is quite able to attend the negotiations that will take place between us. "

Yongsun was truly discovering a new face for his father. She did indeed have the capacity to understand and participate in business, but she could see that today her father was trying not to lose face by presenting his best asset: herself. She had no time for procrastination, however, since Madame spoke again.

“Oh, I have no doubts about the education of this young woman. So we have something in common. "

Yongsun could have sworn that she winked at her.

"However, I would have preferred to acknowledge this in a less ... stressful context ?" "

Her question was purely rhetorical, which she obviously knew better than her host, who was struggling between conflicting feelings. His thin smile displaying gentle compassion was quite recognizable as skillfully concealed satisfaction. Yongsun allowed herself to answer, something she would never have dared if this woman had not intrigued her so much.

“Rest assured, Madam Ambassador, I am not an easily tired woman. But if my presence bothers you, I'll leave you in the moment. "

She pouted disapprovingly, which Yongsun immediately took as victory. She had turned the situation to her advantage, with an almost undetectable rudeness. It might give her father a few seconds to pull himself together.  
She leaned in a delicate greeting, a repressed smile at the corners of her lips.

• • •

Duke Kim, in front of her, was now sweating profusely on his light suede armchair. The chess board between them, covered with documents crumpled by the sovereign's nervous fingers, seemed like an insurmountable distance. The Ambassador had settled in comfortably by the time she found out the casew was a win for her, which hardly took more than a few minutes after the duke's eldest daughter interrupted. This child was charming, but obviously smart and stubborn enough to cause her serious problems concentrating. But she congratulated herself on having rightly detected a low threat adversary in her host.  
The latter had also just lost his last crumbs of inheritance in the justification of a suspicious trip.

“Sir, I'm afraid we're not done. Do you have any objection to the signing of this acknowledgment? "

The old man was shaking with all his limbs, his paunchy physique spread out in his seat as under the weight of fatality. He nodded in the negative, declaring his huge debt to the law.

The Ambassador then rose from her seat, smoothed out and shook the precious paper covered with a signature full of smudges still wet. She stowed it methodically in her leather satchel, then turned on her heels and stepped through the space that separated her from the door. As she pushed the handle to escape this gilded rat hole, she heard a quiet sniffle, like a crying teenager who was ashamed of himself.  
Then she slammed open the door and left.

• • •

The queen had sent Moon Byeolyi in a mission to Gyeonha, in the Kim's property, in order to assess the amount of what this crook owed her. At least, that is what she was officially claiming. The Gyeonha castle, built with stolen money, was artfully surrounded by a dense pine forest, making its splendor invisible to curious travelers. Yongsun's Father no doubt thought he would escape justice for many years to come, his falsified account books and already deceived many of Byeolyi's colleagues. But if she was, the sovereign's “Ambassador”, there was a good reason. The work of Ambassador was the exact size of the shoulders of the young woman. Her weak constitution had never scared anyone from the first meeting, but she took particular pleasure in seeing these impostors change color as she told them about their crimes, and to add up numbers with more than five digits that represented what they could never spend again on gambling, travel, alcohol and women.

• • •

The castle was in the Renaissance style. The upstairs corridor leading to the bedrooms, connected to the ground floor by a large Italian marble staircase, was however more modest since it was made of simple gray stone. This long dark path ended with a disproportionate window, shedding light on the first doors of the aisle.  
Yongsun was seated cross-legged on the red garnet bench that faced the glass opening. She felt like a bird in a cage, and not knowing what was going on in the small living room downstairs bothered her. She would have liked to control the situation completely as she usually did, with calm and attitude. So when she heard the door open downstairs, she had to repress herself to not run to the news. In a detached pose, she waited patiently for her father to call her.  
But it was running a bit late, and the very calculated pose of the young woman became particularly uncomfortable.  
It bore fruit, however, since Madam Ambassador suddenly appeared in front of her, looking a little lost but above all very satisfied.

"Excuse me, Miss Yongsun, but would you please guide me to my room?" I'm afraid I won't find my way there, in the middle of all these rooms. "

She flashed a contrite smile of convenience, her last sentence being pure politeness. She lived with the Queen, in the largest palace in the world. Yongsun liked it, as well as the fact that she remembered her name. However, her politness and cheerfulness did not bode well for her father's business. She decided not to think about it, just for a moment.

“Of course Ma'am, follow me. "

“Oh please, call me Byeolyi. "

His smile was now friendly, with a little something extra that Yongsun couldn't quite name. But she didn't dwell on it, she was oddly flattered that she could call this important woman by her first name, and she smiled back sincerely.

"It'd be a pleasure."

• • •

The redhead young woman glanced around the room, secured the lock, then sprawled out full length across the four-poster bed. The room which had been allocated to her had a strategic position, as far as possible from the personal office of the duke, in order to avoid too assiduous espionage from her. However, it happened that this inconvenience placed the room at the very end of the upstairs hallway, and so she had one of the best views of the garden. She could also see the forests beyond, and lakes where nature seemed to take back its rights.  
Byeol gave herself a moment to reflect on her mission, comfortably settled on the garnet velvet quilt. She had successfully completed the cover mission, which consisted of ruining Duke Kim, but the second would get her in trouble a bit more.  
She had indeed just received a coded missive from the palace which considerably increased the difficulty of the mission. Knowing that she was risking her job more or less every moment, she couldn't afford to disappoint the sovereign.  
Ahn Hyejin had ascended to the throne as Hwasa II upon her father's death a year earlier, letting her take the reins of power in the absence of male heirs, when she was only 21 years old. She had almost immediately reorganized the government, which was drowning under the vague orders of her father, more focused on opium than on state affairs.  
Hwasa quickly took advantage of her newfound influence to hire her childhood friend Byeolyi as Ambassador, after she had proven herself as a spy for the country. She therefore was fully trust by her queen but not by the Congress, for whom she would probably remain only a simple spy all her life. It was mainly for them to see that she had to constantly renew her exploits.  
She managed to decode the letter after an hour of effort, even though it was particularly short and the Ambassador had a wide practice from her spy years.  
The letter featured the following inscription, which plunged the young redhead into a state of extreme perplexity :  
“Bring the youngest Kim sister to the palace, eliminate the witnesses, you have a week."


	2. Chapter 2

The eldest Kim joined her little sister at the dinner table, still absorbed by thoughts on the meeting that had taken place in the late afternoon. The Ambassador's smile intrigued her as much as her reasons for being here in the Kim's Castle. Yongsun knew that the Amassador was to stay a week more here, in order to wait for the royal guard who would come to pick her. The royal castle was located more than a thousand miles from here, far from the forest. However, she did not understand all the nuances of her reasoning, nor her kindness to her.  
The youngest of the family suddenly interrupted her thoughts:

"Sunnie please stop daydreaming. You already spend your days in your dreams ! I wish I could chat with you too ... "

“Oh sorry angel, you are right. What did you wanted to talk to me about? "

"Not much ... I just discovered a formula or two that might allow man to fly. Not like a bird, you dreamer, more like a horse-drawn carriage. "

"Did you spend your free time rehashing math? Wheein, we agreed ! You had to work on foreign languages ! "

"Dad think I am a math genius ..."

“And that's probably true. But that shouldn't prevent you from growing up by putting a little culture in your head! You will soon be 19, young girl. "

“Dad knows it too much. In the hallway, he even told me that I should quickly think about getting married ! I don't even want to imagine it. A partner for life ... "

"I understand you so much ... luckily he dropped his faded speech with me." "

As soon as her plate was empty, Wheein hurriedly rose from the table, his head buried in a small notebook covered with handwritten formulas that Yongsun had long given up trying to find the meaning of. The eldest child heaved a soft motherly sigh, then helped Janet collect the cutlery.  
She got back to her room and torturing thoughts.  
Her footsteps led her instinctively to the door of her suite, but when it was time to turn the handle, she stepped back. An unknown intuition prompted her to pay this mysterious Madam Ambassador a short courtesy night visit.  
She pushed the wooden doors without knocking, her good manners lost in the midst of her deep thoughts.  
The Ambassador was busy unbuttoning her large white shirt and uttered a small exclamation of surprise when he saw the intruder. She blushed violently and slammed the door, realizing what she just did, leaving the woman in the room taken aback.  
Yongsun leaned against the door jamb, catching her breath slowly. The Ambassador had unforeseen effects on the young woman, and this observation did not displease her as much as it should have.  
Moments later, the door opened to the beaming smile of the young redhead who had meanwhile adjusted her shirt again.

•••

“Well Yongsun, what are you waiting for to enter? "

Her smile ... She had a special aura. Something as warm as a secret emanated from it.

“Of course, excuse me for the late inconvenience. I thought we could ... talk? But you're getting dressed, so if you'd rather, I- "

"No, you don't bother me in the slightest. We are made the same, this incident is nothing embarrassing, is it? "

The corners of her lips twitched in an almost mocking pout, as if to defy Yongsun's modesty.

"I ... Indeed. "

"Well, you didn'nt come here for that, did you?" So go ahead, I'm all yours. "

Yongsun blushed even more before noting that the Ambassador's mocking smile had widened.  
She cleared her throat before starting, not wanting to admit to herself that she needed to come to her senses.

"Good ... First, I was wondering if you were enjoying yourself here? How do you find the view? "

Byeol put on a surprised look that did not displease her blonde counterpart.

"I'm wonderfully settled here, and the view ... What would I say? It is splendid! Althought, less than you are. "

" Ma'am... "

•••

This pretty young lady blushed pleasantly to the delight of our Ambassador, which did not prevent her from keeping in mind that the blonde was probably here to extract information from her. She had no doubts that Yongsun had guessed that she was not here just to overwhelm her father, or she would have returned to the castle immediately. She also knew that she should take advantage of this interview with Yongsun to find out about her younger sister, the one she had undertaken to bring back to the palace. But her incredible beauty was blocking the normal functioning of her thoughts. It seemed that she had only one desire at the moment, but it was not reasonable ... No definitely, it was not the best time to seduce a young woman.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" "

" Oh ! Well, if you insist ... What did you think of my father? "

"Well... This is a man who is up to what he claimed to be, but not high enough to dare to challenge the Queen through me, because no one is."

Yongsun got thoughtful for a moment and Byeol suddenly doubted that her answer had been evasive enough.

“I had no idea of his weakness until today, actually. I would like to apologize on his behalf, he defeated the honor of this family. "

Byeol guessed that this change of subject was not incongruous, and it warned her that this young woman probably had more in the head than she would have considered.

"I see ... However, don't apologize, I don't believe in the concept of family honor. I am very attached to the unique qualities of each individual, and I have no proof of your weakness so far. "

The Ambassador saw fit to accompany this statement with a seductive smile as she rose from her seat to face the blonde who had refused to sit down. She led her past the window, leaning on the small balcony in order to be fronting her opposite.

"What about you, Miss Yongsun, what do you think of me? "

The respondent stepped back in surprise, then answered with a mocking smile as she eventually came closer:

"I think you are a great schemer who hides the real reason for her stay here. I also think that you are really into women and finally, that this light red hair looks terribly well on you. "

It was up to our Ambassador to take a step back. She paused for a moment before bursting into a light laugh.

"Incredible Yongsun, you have exposed me from top to bottom!" You are absolutely right, I must admit. And red suits me very well, that's a fact. "

The two young women laughed together, which suddenly relaxed the atmosphere.

•••

Yongsun had gone back to her own room a few moments of discussion later, leaving Byeol feeling empty. The laughter, the smile, the sun that this young woman was cured all of her troubles more effectively than any medication. However, she kept in mind her duty to her Queen. Hyejin was counting on her for this mission, even if it included betraying the trust of the woman she liked by agreeing to kidnap her little sister.  
Duty took precedence over everything.


	3. Chapter 3

•••  
It was the sixth sunset that the Ambassador watched from her bedroom window. Part of the magical mood of that moment was coming, she had to admit it, from the fact that she had discovered it in the company of her host, Yongsun. But tonight, she had another concern. She went to the studio of the youngest in the family, Wheein, and knocked three discreet knocks on the door. The person who opened the door wore a very flattering bob of blonde hair, the same blond as her sister, but in a more disciplined cut, as if for this young woman the hairstyle was a problem of the same order as an equation to solve. She looked neutral, and only one eyebrow higher than the other betrayed her surprise at this visit. With a sign, the youngest invited her to enter, and it is still without a word that Byeolyi took her place on a greasy box which visibly housed an engine. She looked around for a few moments: the green tapestry was littered with unidentifiable stains, the result of relentless manual labor, and the room seemed to be chock-full of crazy inventions of all kinds.  
The redhead did not embarrass herself more than that and exposed the situation to the young woman : she had received the order to kidnap her from the Queen herself, and also had to eliminate any witness to this kidnapping. The best solution was for the blonde to cooperate and no one would suffer the slightest inconvenience. Wheein showed slight concern, but her rational side quickly gained the upper hand and she accepted the cooperative solution, the most effective. However, she couldn't help but point out that her older sister would probably be awake tomorrow morning, and that she wouldn't let Byeol run away alone with her under any circumstances.

"I understand. But how do I get her to let us go ? I don't want to drug her to put her to sleep ... "

“Take her with us. It is the only way. She would give anything she has to get out of here and escape this false freedom our father leaves us." The inventor asserted her argument forcefully.

"I can't do this…" Byeol wondered how much Hwasa would hate this idea.

"You do not have the choice. And if I understood correctly, unless you take her with us -which is what your heart dictates to you because you love her - you will have to take her life."

Wheein made an important point, although those considerations weren't meant to matter; they somehow did.

“You seem to have the answer to everything."

“I don't speak much, but when I do, I believe it is not without reason. "

The blonde smirked slightly.

•••

The sun was rising on a day that was to be the source of many problems, but Byeolyi was not yet aware of it and she got up in a good mood. Very professional, she dressed up at dawn and went downstairs to close the clauses of her contract. It didn't matter to her that she was leaving, they would quickly find that the two girls in the house were missing at breakfast. As she visited the house many times during that week, she was able to easily find Wheein's room. Queen Hwasa absolutely wanted her in the palace within the next ten days, for a yet unknown reason. According to the new telegram the Ambassador received, the matter was extremely urgent. She entered the bedroom discreetly, even though her plan was already perfectly put together. Here, Yongsun and Wheein were already waiting for her, ready and their small travel bags in hand.

Despite her eternal serious demeanor, Wheein put on a little smile, while Yongsun simply beamed. Byeolyi couldn't reppress a benevolent smile when she saw them, so excited to leave the family nest, even if this hasty departure was akin to kidnapping. However, seeing their cooperation, the Ambassador had some doubts about the chosen term.

In silence, they crossed the kitchen, helping themselves to a little food from the reserve that would allow them to survive while they waited for the meeting with the royal guards, those who were to bring them to the palace. Fortunately, they did not meet a living soul during their silent journey to the large portal that would lead them outside. At this point, the two sisters were overexcited and no longer hiding it, even if Byeol tried to keep them quiet: it was the changing of the guards, and if there was no one there for the moment, someone could arrive any time. And the Ambassador would then have no choice but to take the life of those reckless eyes.

Yongsun took the lead naturally, having dreamed of the outside world so much that she had learned entire maps of it by heart; she led them thus to a small stream quivering with life, and it was a song of frogs which accompanied them all along the bank. The sun was just starting to rise in the sky, it was probably barely six in the morning. They continued on their way, cheerfully for the two blondes, no doubt carried by the euphoria of tasting the sweet air of a summer morning, under the canopy of trees with broad, covered branches, without chaperones or tutors on their back. The Ambassador was not so cheerful, still fearing that her plan might have an unexpected flaw, despite the hours she had spent developing it.  
Indeed, everyone knows that no plan ever turns out the way it should.

They had been through the gate a few hours ago when they were ambushed. They had just entered a splendid and green clearing, when a horde of brigands appeared from the edge of the wood which they were about to cross.  
The man who appeared to be their leader wore a red blindfold that covered his entire mouth, and a black eye patch made it difficult to see his face precisely. Each of the other 6 men also wore this type of mask covering their features, each of a different color. They quickly surrounded the young women, which denoted a long practice, their training being perfect. They crushed the surrounding greenery with their enormous boots. Their leader then shamelessly asked the captives to put all their possessions on the ground and to let themselves be handcuffed.

"Captain Kim Namjun? "

Moonbyeol stared at Yongsun who had just spoken as if she knew this man, she no longer understood a single one of these events which were happening too quickly for her.  
Wheein, the youngest, was the one who had recovered the most quickly. She scrutinized each of the men carefully, as if plunged into complex thoughts. After mentally taking note of each of their faces, she ordered:

“Sunnie, Madam Ambassador: close your eyes and bow your head. Cover your ears as tightly as possible. And silence, above all. I need concentration. "

After this rather unexpected call to order, she looked down without that of the man in front of her:

“Soldier Jung, you will now completely forget about this interview. Besides, without remembering why, you are going to break off your training and go back to my father, claiming that nothing has happened here. "

An iridescent light flickered from her eyes to the soldier's, and the man passed out immediately once the unreal line was broken.  
She started again for each of the brigands, who turned out to be soldiers; all captivated by her enchanting voice. Once the last one, a certain Sub-Captain Min, had fallen to the ground, Wheein slapped two small blows on the heads of Byeol and Yongsun, who were a bit unsettled. The blonde's "memory reprogramming" session had only lasted a few minutes, but it was enough for the sound of her voice to filter through despite their hands covering their ears, and the enchantment had numbed them a bit.  
Wheein retrieved her bag, fell on the grass a little further, then began to prepare small sandwiches and orange wedges. She helped the two women sit on rocks at the edge of the woods, then made sure they ate whatever she had given them. As the bites, the young women awoke from the enchantment, and began to be curious.

"Wheein, little sister ... what exactly did you do ?? "

"Miss ... I don't understand, did you know these people?" "

“Patience. Come to your senses completely, then we'll get back on the road. I would explain to you the few things that I managed to understand. "

The semi-letargic state of the womendid not last particularly long, and they were on their feet quickly.  
Wheein looked concerned. How to explain to her elders this sort of magical power that she herself did not fully understand? She decided to let the words flow naturally, even though it was against her habit.  
Yongsun and Byeolyi each stood on one of her sides, all ears, overflowing the thin path they were walking on. The roof formed by the trees of this small wood made it the ideal place for confidences.  
Wheein then spoke:

“Several years ago, as I entered my teenage years, I noticed some strange phenomena in my core. I still had an overdeveloped memory, but the bar raised very high. I remembered absolutely everything, just as much intellectually: the calculations I had made in the afternoon, or the day before, or two months before; taste and sensory: I had the distinct sensation and the distinct taste of everything I had eaten before, I remembered the softness of a mare's coat under my hand ... Everything, I remembered everything, even smells that I passed or discussions that I encountered.  
It goes without saying, anyone would be disturbed with such a great memory capacity, or would even want it to stop : I was not.  
My memory continued to develop, and to this day I have learned to live with it and silence her when it remembers too much.  
It was only a little later that I noticed the phenomenon that you witnessed. It started on the cook, who prepared my favorite dish instead of the one she had just announced, just because I had moaned about wanting to eat it. I thought it was nice, until I noticed that she had no memory of wanting to cook something else.  
So I have some sort of power over people's memory ... Even if I haven't yet managed to identify exactly its characteristics, nor its limits for that matter.  
I had never used it on purpose, but when I saw these men, our ancient father's guards, no doubt chasing us, I immediately knew it was the only way.  
I believe you know everything I know now. "

A long silence followed this statement, which completely stunned Yongsun and the Ambassador. Wheein buried her head in his shoulders, as if fearing the reaction of her elders.  
They continued to walk, still so silently. The dark, earthy little path had widened a bit, and they soon came to the edge of a field. The road planned for the plows and the carriages was hardly further. The sun was in the middle of the sky now, and they settled into a shallow stone shelter that was to be used by the owner of the field to store his tools.

“I was so scared, and I'm so disappointed that father heard about our getaway… well, thanks to my dear little sister, we triumphed!" Yongsun laughed happily, infectious and delicious laughter, quickly joined by Byeol's applause.

The youngest smirked, her nose barely protruding from the scarf she had around the neck, to avoid being recognized once again by a surrounding patrol.  
All they had to do now was to wait for the Queen's guards who would lead them to the palace.


	4. Chapter 4

•••  
The landscape was tinged with brown. The surrounding color shades were spectacular on the beginning of this morning. The night had been rainy, and the gray stone shelter of the young women had protected them as best they could.  
But this morning promised to be radiant.  
Byeol was the first to wake up, when the first light of dawn had yet to bring the brown mass in front of her to life. She had slept terribly badly on the hard stone bench, accustomed for a week to the finest linens. Obviously, however, the young women around her had no such problem.  
She smiled as she laid eyes on the long, wavy blonde hair in front of her. Yongsun was sleeping peacefully and even seemed to be in a dream. Byeol found herself wishing that she was dreaming of her ... She recovered quickly, forbidding any idea of this kind from entering her thoughts.  
She had many other matters of concern, all of them more urgent.  
Now that Wheein had revealed her uniqueness and control of memories to them, the redhead had a better understanding of why Hwasa needed her. The fact that Wheein never told anyone about it was no objection to that claim, as the Queen always knew everything before people themselves. However, this made Wheein an easy prey for opponents of the regime, who might want this mysterious power. Impatience and fear formed an unsatisfying mix, and the royal guard was slow to show up. It was supposed to arrive any time soon, but there were many inconveniences on the road, which was probably the explanation for the overnight delay.  
Byeol certainly didn't show it to her companions, but she had bad feelings. If for the two sisters this journey would end with a triumphant arrival at the palace, the Ambassador had some doubts about the glory that would await them in the capital.  
In fact lately, incomprehensible political events had been linked. The Queen, whom everyone considered wise despite her young age, had given order after order, all as contradictory as each other. Byeol had almost doubted Hyejin when she sent her on a mission here, before discovering Wheein's secret. The military had recently formed a secret coalition to foment a coup, which was immediately dismantled and punished, but which remains worrying nonetheless. The young Queen was the obvious target of a large part of the government, which would ardently wish to overthrow her power and place a more Machiavellian and calculating man there. But the people adored the Queen, who made order and security her priority even better than her father the late King. It was therefore a prosperous country that she ruled, but her cleansing of high corrupt dignitaries did not please everyone, and it was this kind of character who were trying to replace her on the throne.

•••  
A small ray of sunlight tickled Yongsun's nose, who then agreed to open her eyes and wake up to the world. She stretched gracefully, then smiled broadly at Byeol, who looked concerned. Wheein still sleeping on the opposite bench, she invited the Ambassador to take a seat on her side.  
"What is happening to you Byeolyi?" I feel you are tense, but no event justifies it ... "

“Oh, nothing important Yongsun, I assure you. I'll probably tell you about it at the palace when we get there. "

"What is this all whispering about?" Wheein just stood up, her hair disheveled contrary to her habit.

“Nothing, my dear. Did you sleep well ?"  
Yongsun naturally smiled at her.

"Well ... The stone benches are not as comfortable as you might think," she said with a mocking smile.

They ate a brief breakfast which finished their provisions, and they only had to wait a short moment before they heard the sound of hooves, closer and closer. Such indiscretion could only come from the royal guard, an impression confirmed a few minutes later by the appearance of six young horsemen.

The highest ranked officer introduced himself, Colonel Kim Youngjo. His second, Seoho, offered to boil some tea, and with the still early morning light, the discussion began easily. For nearly an hour, the newly arrived told Byeolyi and the Kim sisters about the court news, which did not really reassure them. Indeed, the highest magistrates in the kingdom, forming the Queen's Council, seemed to be plotting more and more every day. They had also refused to meet to vote on the emergency laws proposed by Hwasa to help the people, victims of a famine resulting from the great drought of the previous summer. The effects of the deprivation were beginning to be worrying and the Queen, as always, had reacted swiftly and drafted a bill preventing the situation from becoming of real concern. But the Council united against her and the people needed help. Hyejin, a young woman still new to the throne, could not attempt decisive action against these fat officials without the help of Moonbyul, her best friend, as well as Wheein, in whom she had great hopes. Also, it seemed imperative to get back to the palace as soon as possible.

Dongju, the youngest guard, was very proud to accomplish his first mission and seemed terribly anxious to carry it out; he was always suspicious of every sound of the forest. Except that the new noise that everyone thought came out of their imagination was not, and the stallions gallop away was becoming more and more urgent. Quickly, it was necessary to equip the horses, assemble the camp and remove all traces of passage. The car pulled away even as the chasing horses seemed to be less than five hundred yards away. The speed of the heavy crew was compromised by their weight, even if the men behind them seemed to fly. Youngjo urgently decided to take a grassy shortcut in the forest, which completely erased their tracks of wheels and shoes. As they went deeper into the forest, neither of them knowing where this road could lead them, everyone remained silent.  
After a few minutes of progress, they made the decision to leave the path, the forest turning out to be really dark, and after a good hour, they arrived at the edge of a clearing. This clear and luminous place allowed all hearts to calm down, and after a short pause, Seoho discovered a more spacious path, which constituted a detour but assured them against a possible encounter with their pursuers.

•••  
It wasn't until late at night that the royal crew finally reached their destination, the capital. Wheein and Yongsun, amazed, discovered with enchantment the silhouettes of the old and graceful buildings standing in front of the Royal Palace, raised at the border of the city on a hill which looked like an imposing pedestal. They could even see the immense royal gardens which ran behind the castle, filled with trees and innumerable varieties of plants, whose shimmering colors could be guessed even in the darkness.  
The astonished eyes of the young girls could not believe what they were seeing. They had never been able to admire the capital and its many treasures except through vague history books which fascinated them.  
Dongju, who had remained in the coach with the ladies, solemnly introduced them to their new hometown:

“Ladies, welcome. Here your troubles begin. "


	5. Chapter 5

•••  
It was pitch black, and the atmosphere of secrecy around them made the adrenaline even weaker. A mixture of stress and excitement seemed to agitate Yongsun and Dongju in particular, while Wheein and the rest of the Royal Guard were startlingly pragmatic, discussing the plans of action together calmly and as equals. Moonbyul looked at the situation with hindsight, and approved that Wheein was indeed the solution to her queen's problems.  
The young women, surrounded by the royal guard, sneaked discreetly through the back door of an inn, which might seem inappropriate as they had to reach the palace as quickly as possible without being seen. But this back door opened on a double end, and the door which merged with a section of wall led in reality to the palace of Hwasa by an ingenious underground, precisely invented for this kind of secret visitors.  
The walls were covered in moss from the humidity, and the floor was covered in unattractive brownish puddles. Seoho and Youngjo lit torches, only two: that was the rule in this cave. If coming in front, we saw only one torch or more than two, it would be an enemy to shoot down. Very few people knew of this underground, even among the royal guard, so they had to be scrupulous. The newest recruit Dongju listened the elder's words in awe, even though he was petrified by the stress.  
After a hundred yards, they encountered stairs that went deep into the darkness. This appealed to the field scientist, Wheein:

"How come we need to go down stairs when we should logically go up?" The castle is on the top of a hill, isn't it? "

“You have a remarkable sense of observation, miss. In reality, this staircase is an illusion for intruders as well as a facility for us: thanks to this descent, we cross the other side of the hill and arrive at ground level in the Queen's Gardens." Youngjo replied proudly.

"Clever ... but then your cave is of no interest if someone who knows its existence is watching the exit." Wheein resumed with a concentrated look.

"You are right, of course ... But what exactly do you mean?" The chief suddenly seemed confused.

"Well ... if the Queen's Council really went up against her, it will have kept abreast of his plans and we will have had them prosecuted or watched, and as we know that the revolt also stems from the guards, whose some surely know this underground, it is imperative not to consider this shortcut as safe. The exit could lead to an ambush, and you could even come across two malicious torches. Do you know how to get out of here any other way? "

"There is another one, yes ... But I'm afraid it has been condemned for years, because we have been prohibited from using it."

“It's imperative, lieutenant. This is your chance to make a brilliant move and save us all. "

Youngjo hesitated a moment, then nodded slowly. He then explained, with the aura of a true battle leader, his plan:

"Well. First, we'll have to separate the guard: Hwanwoong, Seoho, and Leedo will go to the official exit. There, they will hide and warn reinforcements in case of an ambush: we must stop the traitors in the service of the Council. Secondly, and simultaneously, Keonhee, Dongju and I will lead these ladies through the doomed exit, and hopefully; we will be in the castle by two hours. Otherwise, we will turn around and join the first squadron which will have previously cleared the ground if necessary. Is this clear to everyone? "

Everyone approved silently, considering the difficulty of the action and the possibility of finding themselves in a dead end, or even kidnapped by the Council's henchmen. The separation of the teams was done without a word, and when it was time to leave, Youngjo added :

“Gentlemen, I place all my trust in you. This is a mission of the utmost importance, and I have invested all of you with it. So now, good luck. "

•••  
Byeolyi, discreet since the start of the operations, had good reason to be. She strongly suspected that the guards knew something she didn't, and that they were deliberately avoiding telling her. And according to her, even the great Hwasa was kept out of this information.

The girls moved aside while Keonhee, using a bomb of his own, succeeded in detonating the heavy steel bars that prevented passage to the old exit. In fact, the walls were much more earthy and artisanal in this passage; which was even more narrow and seemed to want to close onto them in the dark.  
They slipped in, Youngjo leading, Keonhee following him, and the ladies and Dongju coming up behind. As it was an unusual tunnel, the operations manager gave each person a torch. There was no risk of passing anyone here and they would turn them off as they approached the exit. However, the problem was to actually find the exit. After ten meters in the muddy darkness, the tunnel climbed in almost vertical slope. In addition, the loose soil slipped slightly under their feet, and the transformation of this floor into a wall was unlikely to fix this parameter.  
After a moment of discussion between the lieutenant and his second, they finally decided to attempt the escalation. Wheein, who could have been the most disgusted by these unconventional practices, was on the contrary the first volunteer. She slipped into the duct and surprisingly, the mud that fell revealed some kind of steps much more stable than expected. So the team walked up this tunnel without too much difficulty, and when Wheein swung forward, they had arrived. Indeed, the vertical duct suddenly became horizontal again, but as they had to abandon all the torches due to the lack of sockets, Wheein bumped into the low ceiling and uncovered the floor. She had to engage in it on all fours, the conduit being less high than wide. Scarcely a few meters away, she could see the outlines of an illuminated rectangle, this panel probably hiding a discreet exit.  
Wheein warned everyone of the smallness of the place, then imposed complete silence on them. She tried to hear the slightest noise on the other side, the room being lit could also be inhabited. After a long moment of silence, she decided that all danger was momentarily over and unhooked the discreet, dust-covered latch that closed the panel.

•••  
Seoho had carefully guided his team to the conventional exit. But the blond was frightened, despite the silence outside, because he had heard movements in the bushes. Leedo laughed at his irrational fear, they put out their torches and sneaked outside. It only took a second for the three of them to be surrounded by men in dark cloaks, a mask over their face making them unidentifiable. Seoho did count that they were seven before they attacked them. But he suddenly felt an immense pain in the back of his head and the darkness prevailed.

Hwanwoong saw his friends fall one by one, and took advantage of his opponent's moment of inattention to flee at full speed, taking advantage of the moonless night and the many trees to be concealed. But none of them tried to pursue him, they probably didn't need him. Or no need for all three.  
After running in silence for ten minutes, he slowed down. He could see the lights of the castle a hundred yards away, and decided to go around it, in the event that a bad encounter awaits him at the main entrance.  
He did not understand the illogical attitude of his attackers. They were armed with daggers, masked, had surrounded them, but had made sure not to seriously injure any of them, very obviously refusing to kill them. This peaceful behavior was not a gesture of kindness of course, but certainly carried out under a specific order. But once again, why?  
Hwanwoong hurried to the palace, and immediately requested an audience with his commander to report the kidnapping of his companions and the ambush into which they had jumped with both feet.

•••  
The second team had just arrived in a richly decorated living room, but with infinitely more taste than the room in which Byeolyi had negotiated with Yongsun's father. This place came in only beige and gray tones, and the light paneling made the room feel a little larger; while the pale pink velvet tapestry with floral motifs made it all warm. Anxious not to smear this room of the palace with mud and dust, they did not sit on the cream sofas which looked so nice, and waited patiently in the middle of the room. Moonbyul, whose decision was awaited since only her knew the plans of the palace perfectly, seemed to think hard. She suddenly muttered:

“I don't know this room. And it is not new. So it's a secret room. But why did we end up there? "

She asked herself inaudible questions, and the others took the time to admire the splendid decoration of this room perfectly lit despite the low number of candles.  
A curtain of flesh silk which sheltered a section of wall suddenly began to move.  
From behind this curtain, which hid a small bed with many cushions, came out a beautiful brunette woman, not very tall but of great femininity. Her hair fell to her waist, and curled beautifully around her confident, welcoming face. She wore a simple housecoat to match the beige of the room, but she was so imposing and regal despite her airiness that no one could have doubted her identity.

“Hyejin-ah! "

This royal person suddenly melted like a child and jumped into the arms of her best friend, finally found. She spilled out in sobs and expressions of joy, vaguely explaining between gasps of tears of happiness and pain, how loneliness in a sovereign could be fatal.

The dumbfounded spectators contented themselves with observing their Queen, of whom only the marble image was known, when she was in silk outfit kneeling in her simplest humanity.  
She recovered quickly all at once, and her eyes were dry and perfectly made up just like before this outburst of emotions. She had a truly impressive mastery of herself.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce myself: Ahn Hyejin, or Hwasa the second more officially. Welcome here ! "

She drew everyone after her. The door opened into an even larger bedroom, entirely decorated in shades derived from blue. The room was infinitely more luxurious, and Moonbyul recognized the Queen's ceremonial chamber. But they had come out of it by a point that the Ambassador did not know: on looking more closely, they had gone through an invisible door disguised as a royal blue library. Another mystery Hwasa hadn't told her about.  
The latter dismissed the guards, showering them with compliments, and they hurried to join the first team, which they hoped had already arrived. Then she turned to the three remaining women and questioned Yongsun with her gaze:

"Could someone explain to me the reason for the presence of this young blonde woman? "

Moonbyul mumbled an apology under her breath but Yongsun cut it off and spoke in a clear, imposing voice:

“Your Majesty, I know you did not required my presence here, it is true. But let me assure you that I am not in the way of your plans, and rather a help. I would never have allowed myself to come if I could have harmed your Majesty in any way, believe it. In addition, it turns out that the disappearance of my young sister alone would have worried my father beyond measure, and I probably should have told him everything under his threat. By leaving with her, it was the two of you that I protected. "

By these words, Yongsun put the Queen in debt. But it seemed that she knew exactly what she was doing since the Queen gave her a huge smile and added with a laugh:

“Don't worry, my dear. You are welcome here as long as you support me with such aplomb. Also we seem to have a few things in common. "

They both left with a big laugh that surprised the other two spectators who were not used to this kind of behavior from one or the other. It was undoubtedly the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

•••  
Hwanwoong bumped into Youngjo as he ran down the halls. They both fell to the ground, then relieved to have found each other, hugged euphorically. But Keonhee soon realized that Leedo and Seoho were missing, and Hwanwoong burst into tears.

"They ... A group of masked armed men took them away. The Lady was right, we were ambushed. And I'm afraid we'll never find them again."


	6. Chapter 6

•••  
They were in a dark cellar, or at least, it looked a lot like it. A single rickety ceiling light tried unsuccessfully to light up the huge room with its rough walls, hewn out of the rock. This kind of place was frequent in this region, where many people had houses built on the hills.  
But this den had obviously existed for decades, given the wear and tear of the floor and the moldy state of the ceiling covering.  
However, the two young men did not really have time to think about it, they were firmly tied to terribly uncomfortable iron chairs.  
Their whole body ached, they had lost all notion of time. They were hungry, cold, thirsty, hot, shivering heavily from the sweats that ran through them. They were numb with fear.  
Such high-ranking members of the Queen's Personal Guard usually experienced nothing, not even the slightest shiver in front of an unexpected situation or an horrific crime scene. But what they were experiencing now went way beyond that. Their opponents were numerous, about seven, and above all, terribly violent. Both physically and morally. They could have died if the agressors had asked them to.

A man entered the room. He wore a white carnival mask and a long black cape with shiny edges, he really gave himself a magician's style. But they were all dressed the same, which made it difficult for the captives to count them confidently. Seoho had counted their shoes, and he was pretty sure there were seven. But whoever was now in front of them was wearing the beige hiking boots, the cruelest questioner. He was probably using a mix of various psychological torture methods, but Seoho was one of the highest-ranking soldiers, so the torture did not affect him as much as Leedo, who was now crying nonstop at the approach of any of the white masks. They couldn't even talk to each other...  
The questions were the same, over and over, that was part of the method.  
"Where are the girls you were protecting?" Where did they run from? "  
Again...

•••  
Moonbyul had joined Hyejin in her ceremonial room, a room she knew well, at least.  
The room was entirely covered with red velvet and gold edging, all in a very overloaded baroque decor. But the Queen had adopted this room out of habit, so that her subjects would recognize her legitimately: it was her father's room, the very one where she was probably conceived by her parents. She thus received certain ministers and informants here, this room was much more an administrative office than a place of rest. It gave her visitors the full measure of her greatness, and she adored such displays of power.  
But Byul knew well that she slept in a room the size of a quarter of this room, refusing to lie down in the bed which had sheltered the last moments of her father and all his madness. She had never slept in this room. For her, it was only a room for reflection, political discussion or meeting. This room was so big that it could have hosted a courtyard ball.  
Meanwhile, Hyejin sat down on one of the bedroom's many small rococo sofas, and patiently waited for her Ambassador to speak.

"Hyejin-ah ... why didn't you tell me about this passage and this secret room? And how did you know that's where we would get to, at that exact moment ?! "

"Moonbyul... You are my most loyal friend and informant, but I cannot reveal all of these secrets to anyone. They are protected if I am the only one who knows them, you understand? But I can tell you why I was waiting for you there: I wanted to test the genius of the young blonde. None of my personal guards would have thought of changing lanes, but if this woman had enough savvy she would have thought of the trap and stepped into the blocked exit. And if, for some reason, she hadn't thought about it, a guard would have come to warn me of your arrival through the front door and no one would have been aware of my ambush. "  
She gave a happy little laugh, like a child who drew a pretty picture. So much responsibility rested on this Queen's shoulders, and she was still so young.

"Good… I guess that's all I will get from you tonight, so if you excuse me, I have to prepare my room for Yongsun." "

" Oh ? Will the oldest sister sleep with you? I understand better why you brought her… ”Hyejin looked like a contented schemer.

"It's not what you think !! I just wanted to avoid her getting lost in one of the huge rooms of the palace, and I offered to share mine... ”The Ambassador blushed very indignantly.

"I don't believe a word of it! Little Byulie is in love ~ ”The Queen was literally jubilant.

"I ... I really have to go." "  
Moonbyul flees the humiliation of her Queen, although each of their meetings would now be the occasion for incessant questioning about her relationship with Yongsun.  
Her relationship with Yongsun ...  
But where exactly was it?

•••  
Yongsun was alone in a gigantic corridor, the ceiling four meters upon her head. She felt so small among the cream and gold decor and the ornamental plants which were all at least her height. Several doors lined up in front of her, but she didn't know which one to choose, they were all exactly the same ... She felt like she was in a hotel way too luxurious for her.  
Moonbyul suddenly appeared at the end of the hall, and strode towards her energetically.

“Come on, Yongsun, it's over here. "  
The Ambassador had a worried look that caught the young blonde's attention.

After walking about ten meters in corridors all as decorated as the first one, Yongsun was convinced that she have would never found her way back. She understood better why Moonbyul had offered to share her room with her.  
They finally came to a door comparable to any other, which opened on a huge turquoise blue bedroom.  
Byeol spoke somewhat awkwardly, clearing her throat:

"I've been told that you might sleep a lot better without me, so despite this palace being a real maze, would you like to sleep here alone..?" "

“Oh Byeol, you scared me! I thought something serious was happening !! Of course not, stay here, we will chat together, you surely have a lot of interesting things to say .... And it is true that I would get lost in less than a minute if I was left alone. "  
She burst into a warm laugh that gradually triggered the Ambassador's.

And Yongsun now had the word to describe her smile. Charming.

•••  
To say that Wheein inspected every room in the palace from top to bottom only to visit would be a slight misinterpretation. She was definitely determined to know why they wanted to kidnap her. She already knew it had something to do with her power, or at least, most likely. But how were they going to use her? She wanted to find out and prepare for it before anyone even asked her. She knew her gift was precious, excellent reason not to let it fall into just any hands. She was therefore carefully studying the archival files concerning the Queen and her ministers when the later burst into the room.

"Miss Kim? What are you doing ? "

Wheein jumped so hard that she dropped the stack of archive boxes she had just read.

"I... Your Majesty... It turns out that-"

"Don't bother, Wheein, and call me Hyejin! We could even talk to each other on familiar terms. I mean, we might end up spending a little time in the same surroundings, you and I, so we might as well do that warmly."

Wheein could swear that she winked at her. She recovered from her fright in a minute, and apologized to the Queen for her intrusion into the royal archives.

“No don't apologize! I should have informed you first. Plus, if you managed to open all the padlocks on this door without the keys, then you're even smarter than I thought!  
Well, follow me, I'll explain why you're here."

They descended five flights of stairs covered with heavy red carpets before reaching a smaller, hidden one, which seemed to lead to an underground passage. Indeed, the cubicle it housed was made as abruptly as the tunnel behind the inn they had taken to reach the palace. As they seemed to be approaching their goal, Hwasa spoke up.

"I brought you here because your father bragged about your scientific abilities, enough for me to know what you are capable of. Japan is threatening to attack us right now, and the Council is plotting a coup against me. So I am in great need of strategic help, both in weapon design and battle plans, but also moral help. My Ambassador Moonbyul is forced to stay away from me, because if the Council takes power, she would be the first to be tortured for informations. The best solution is therefore that she has no information to submit to them in such a case. So I need you, if you accept this charge, both as an advisor and as an armament manager. I hope you can accept these responsibilities, and please know that all the necessary means will be put in place to make your job easier and allow you to succeed."

“I… I don't know what to say, Hyejin, but thank you very much… I will do my best to serve my country, you know that."  
Wheein was distraught. So she didn't wanted her for her power?

"I have no doubt on that matter."  
Hwasa gave her a tender smile, then pulled out a tiny key from a fold in her robe and opened the door that was now in front of her. Her smile widened further when she announced:

"Wheein, this is your new workshop!"

The room was probably 100 square meters, filled with advanced tools of all kinds and sophisticated and comfortable worktops.  
It was more than anything Wheein could have dreamed of. But she couldn't help but think of something: she hadn't forced any locks to enter the archive room where Hyejin had found her. The door was already open.


	7. Chapter 7

•••  
Jinwoo waited patiently for the hallway to be entirely empty, then walked over to the archive room door, which he had inadvertently left open last night. Luckily, no one frequented this dusty room full of discouraging shelving.  
Jinwoo, as per orders from Rubin, the chairman of the council, was to hide the secret documents in this room. However, when he pushed open the door to search for a map Rubin needed, he noticed a huge mess: he took so much care to put everything in order every time he came, the mess made him feel a little discouraged. How was he going to locate the underground plan of the castle in the midst of these hundreds of documents which littered the ground?  
He decided to put everything in alphabetical order. After a good hour of tidying up, he realized that the plan was nowhere.  
Someone had come in here and took it.

He joined Rubin quickly, but the chairman didn't give him a chance to explain the situation.  
"Jinwoo, you are the vice president of the council and I believe it is time you got to know my plans. As you already know, we are going to accentuate the rivalries between Korea and Japan so that the Queen only cares about this issue. During this time, I would make quiet alliances with Japan and overthrow the Queen so that we take power."

"Sure, Rubin, but what about the younger Kim sisters? Their father was on the Council not too long ago, and he could report us if we didn't bring them back to him."

“You are absolutely right, Jinwoo. That's why we'll pretend to ignore that they're at the palace. Speaking of which, Namjoon and Seokjin have come to tell me that the two guards, Seoho and Leedo I believe, have been tortured so much that they can no longer tell anything. And they haven't let go of Hwasa's plans. I will end up believing that this little one protects her secrets well. "

“The situation is quite bad, then... When I went to get the map you asked me for, the room was in an unimaginable mess and someone seemed to have searched for a document in a hurry. Maybe it is an ally for us? "

Rubin let out a big, discouraged sigh.  
“Of course not, idiot. Have you found the underground plan? "

"Uh, no."

“That's what I was saying. The person who made such a mess was looking for something against us. And they were interrupted. "

•••  
Moonbuyl woke up in the first light of dawn, as usual, and jumped out of bed to grab her dressing gown. But suddenly, the curtains of her huge bedroom window opened on their own. A cry of fear tightened in his throat. With the agility of a snake, she grabbed the dagger embedded in a hiding place in her bed and walked cautiously towards the light source.

“Madam Ambassador, you are very emotional! "

Yongsun laughed so happily and lightly.

Byeol felt all the shame of a life fall on her shoulders and she noticed in the reflection of the glass the scarlet of her cheeks. She always blushed under intense stress or on the battlefield, but that old habit today was a disservice.

"Finally, Byeol, don't take my joke seriously! I guess you just forgot about my presence here..."

His laugh was noticeably less happy, suddenly. And even if, for a moment, the redhead had indeed forgotten the blonde on her side, she absolutely wanted to make up for her blunder. With a very serious air and covered with irony, she tried:

"When I wake up, I'm rather aggressive as you will have noticed, but how about a lunch with me? It would probably refresh my failing memory, and prevent me from postponing such a reaction!"

The smile on Yongsun's face was the brightest, the most expressive, the only one Byeol wanted to see again. She thanked her audacity for daring to invite her to lunch.

"I accept the invitation, I also think it will be you the greatest good! I'll see you at noon, then. "

She added a wink that Byeol caught despite the darkness. Watching her walk away, her heart screamed to her mind that she was special.  
This woman was not like the others. She was perfectly above anyone she had met before.

•••  
In her state-of-the-art workshop, Wheein was thinking. She spent her days thinking.  
What she was looking for was the most infallible, the most unimaginable, the most undetectable, the most perfect battle plan. She had no doubts that she would find it, but she realized more and more what her weak point was: she had almost no knowledge of the Court. Also, despite the dozens of plans she had obtained from the Queen, she could not act according without a really practical consideration. Likewise, the political context she had been studying for days in books had nothing to do with the current situation.  
She desperately needed a Court guide.

Seized with a sudden burst of courage, she closed the door of her office and climbed the countless stairs. Arriving in the reception hall, totally empty, she decided not to be discouraged and to monopolize the help of the first person who would pass. Getting lost in the corridors, she arrived in a splendid ceremonial room, which seemed to be a bedroom without having the use of it. Suddenly, from a secret door hidden in the ornate walls, emerged the Queen herself. Although it was quite late in the morning, she seemed to just got out of bed. Wheein secured the only survival technique she had mastered: she remained as still as possible. She was afraid that Hwasa would send her away to have seen her in her nightgown.  
However, after a moment of surprise, the Queen offered her a broad smile :

"Well Wheein, what are you doing here?" Are you bored already?"  
She laughed in a crystalline tone.

"Not at all Majesty, I ... I only needed a guide. But I will find someone available, don't worry! "

“Last night's meeting lasted until 6am, but I'm used to them trying to wear me out. I would probably be the best guide you'll find here, so let me go with you! "

Wheein, who was the nosy type, was a little apprehensive that the Queen herself would be her in her research. What if she sounded rude, cocky, or had an inappropriate word? She would rather die than be sent back to her father, where boredom would be fatal anyway.  
Still, the Queen answered all of her questions, bar none, and opened all the closed doors Wheein was curious to see open. Hwasa didn't point out to her that they forgot lunch time, didn't interrupt her when she was having a meeting. She accompanied her in the best mood, as if what they were doing there was the funniest game.

As the sun was already setting, they sat down in the armchairs in the throne room, still breathless from their run through the halls. Wheein had never known this kind of games, Yongsun being very reserved and in her thoughts, and the youngest had never been attracted to these either. But what she discovered with Hwasa -Hyejin, as this one wanted to be called- was pure delight. Although it wasn't really a game, it was the funniest. The Queen wielded a power of attraction over her that was difficult to understand for Wheein, who had nevertheless studied the phenomenon. She didn't understand.

She didn't understand why that smile made her blush.

She didn't understand why that look made her nerves flutter.

In fact, maybe she understood very well. But she still did not agree.

•••  
Byeol was terribly nervous. Her sudden bravery seemed much less judicious to her now that she had to have lunch alone with a woman who made her blush with every laugh. Finally, it was done: she had spent the morning choosing the menu, the cutlery, calculating the space between their plates ... She hoped that Yongsun would not see that she was sweating in her ill-fitting white shirt. She hadn't worked this morning, mostly because Hyejin was definitely nowhere to be found. Yet usually, even if she got up late, she still had a huge list of things to find for the day. Well ... more people to spy on and papers to steal. Byeol was an Ambassador-Spy, trained in the field and more talented than anyone ... except for real dating, the ones that didn't happen undercover.

Yongsun walked lightly for someone who was wearing heels four inches tall. She wore an open white mermaid dress, which showed the curve of her thigh as she walked. The bustier suited her as it was made for her, and the encrusted diamonds made this dress authenticly princessy. Her long, wavy blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that revealed the perfect oval her face formed. But above all, her resplendent smile lit up the room. Byeolyi immediately regretted not having dressed up a little more on this day.

"You- You ... you're beautiful, Sun." "

"Thank you ! It's a gift from the Queen, it was tailor-made for a top secret mission ... which I will tell you about right now!"

"Sit down first, I ordered a meal which should be nice ..."

Byeol felt very badly coming this idea of a mission entrusted to an aristocratic girl who had never worked in this environment ...

"Hwasa gave me this mission when we arrived, and since then I'm training. It's very simple: at the spring ball, in two weeks, I'll have to dance with as many members of the Council as possible, preferably the most influentials. I will take the opportunity to slip a word of threat dictated by the Queen into their jackets! Obviously, the little papers will be anonymous and they should be scared enough to leave her alone for a while, she said. "

Byeol understood very well. However, asking Yongsun to do it was pointless, and such a big ploy for something they just had to slip under their bedroom door ... it was suspicious.

“I see, it's a big mission! I'll have to talk to Hyejin about it, to better understand the subtleties. Finally, I would have to find it for that! "

Byeol's laugh didn't resonate with Yongsun's, surprisingly.

"Did you find the Queen this morning...? It's worrying, because I practice dancing with Wheein every morning to be ready for the ball, but I couldn't find her today ... do you think there might be a connection ..? "

“Ah! It's curious, but I do indeed feel that there can be a very direct relation ... I suggest that we look for them tomorrow, let them have time for the moment. What would you say if I replaced Wheein for your dance class today? I've got some experience..."

Byeol gave her a wink that made her blush. Target reached!

"It would be a pleasure ... You- You're surely right, they can't be far. And then, let's take some time for us too, Byeol. "

Yongsun leaned towards the Ambassador, she was exactly the right distance away thanks to the ingenious table arrangement. She placed a delicate kiss on his cheek. The young woman was in shock. At this precise moment, a waiter entered with their food, and after an embarrassed laugh, Yongsun left it there for the meal.

But Byeol didn't wanted to be done with it at all.


	8. Chapter 8

•••  
Hyejin had missed six Council meetings, seventeen interviews, fourteen invitations and three official events this week. The majority of these meetings, planned by the members of the Council, were planned only in order to keep her occupied, far from the real political questions. But their plan had drastically failed: not only did she fail to show up and majestically ignored them, but Wheein dragged her out of a Queen's usual role. Face to face with reality, Hwasa had only one desire: to solve the country's real political problems. And it was what she was brilliantly tackling this week, closely followed by her engineer at all times; much to the dismay of the Councilors.  
Hyejin, meanwhile, took her role as a guide very seriously. Wheein, after analyzing the riddles of the palace from every angle, had asked to go out and visit the capital, and amazingly, the Queen was absolutely keen to follow her. For a week, therefore, they had been exploring. But for Wheein, the exploration didn't stop there:  
for every muddy path she took, there was a new path that connected her heart to her mind.  
Wheein was falling in love.

•••  
Rubin had summoned the whole guard, no one was to be missing: Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook. Jinwoo task was to organize everything once again, but his boss didn't know he was so stressed out about the event plans. He was trying to do the best he could, and the small office had been converted into a dining room, ready for a wedding. The flower baskets took up so much space that when the seven bandits would come in, no one would be able to move. Besides, when Rubin entered, he got angry with his partner who then had to remove everything in five minutes before the "guests" arrived.

They all sat down in front of Rubin's desk. Well, except for Jinwoo for whom there was no chair left.  
The President of the Council spoke with a voice coming from the depths of hell:

“Gentlemen, we are in an absolutely critical situation. The Queen no longer takes the bait at all and refuses all the distractions that we had organized for her. The members of the Council and I therefore chose to make a decision that is to say the least ... drastic. "

He paused significantly, gazing into the eyes of the seven athletes in the room. They were the criminal elite, with no god or master other than the highest bidder's money, and the taste of blood. Jinwoo was starting to think that what they had voted in the Half Word Committee was not a metaphor, and his doubt was confirmed when Rubin spoke again.

“I give you the order to kill Queen Hwasa the IInd. "

Even the bandits were speechless. Jinwoo exclaimed:

"But we can't do that!" She has no offspring yet, who will replace her ?? "

Rubin could have dismembered his partner at this precise moment.

“As no one can succeed her by blood ties, the Council will seize power. Why would we want to eliminate her if not? "

Jinwoo was then immediately kicked out of the room, and the seven murderers negotiated with Rubin the price of the country's most significant disappearance. The associate, Jinwoo, wondered if he should be looking for the Queen. She was often alone with Wheein at the moment, it would be really easy to assassinate them: maybe he should warn her ... She didn't have time to make a descendant anymore, but maybe she could talk to the Council. Jinwoo did not understand anything, and did not know what his role was at this precise moment. He decided to wait, his favorite technique. If they killed the Queen, at least Rubin would be happy and it was an idea that Jinwoo liked.

•••  
Yongsun was sad this week. Even Byeol's jokes didn't make her laugh as much as they once did, and failed to make her smile again. This difficult mood was an enigma for the Ambassador, who isolated herself more and more, because of the lack of pleasant relations with the pretty blonde. Without orders from the Queen, she carried out investigations on her own to drown herself into work. Their lunch and Sun's kiss were only a distant memory, it seemed. They hadn't talked about it since, much to Byeol's dismay. Currently, she was on a lead: the more scheming Council members had gathered for a secret ballot very recently, and they had debriefed the meeting. However, it seemed encrypted: the only three words on the sheet made no sense.

'BTS operation enabled.'

What was BTS? Why was it necessary to activate this operation now? That's what she was trying to find out. Sitting at her desk for hours, she went out to get some tea.  
Yongsun was sitting on the floor. She was crying silently.  
Byeol approached her precautiously:

"Sun ... what's wrong?" "

"It's Wheein ... I feel like something bad is going to happen to her. I haven't seen her this week, and that feeling woke me up last night. I have the impression ... I have the impression that she is going to die ... "

Oh.  
Was that it? Everything suddenly lit up.  
As Yongsun in tears rested her head on Byeol's chest, Byeol suddenly stood up, grabbing her wrist.

"Come, you must see this!" "

She led her to the small letter.

“BTS? Like Brothers Training System? If I remember correctly, this is a bunch of overtrained killers. My father hired them once. They do their job better than anyone, even if they are expensive. They are the ones who went for us in the forest and that Wheein did stop magically ! Do you think ... Byeol, would the Council want to kill someone ..? "

“Not just anyone. The Queen."

Byeol took a moment to think about it as Yongsun panicked. Hyejin had to be warned, but she hadn't been found for a week. Along with Wheein, they moved faster than their shadows and lost themselves in the most unthinkable places. If even the Royal Guard failed to find them, how would they succeed?

"Something has to be done. Wheein will perish with Hwasa, otherwise. "

Yongsun stood up as she said this, a determined look on her face.  
Byeol didn't have to rely on her own skills only, there were two of them. And above all, it was either that or the death of the two people who were dearest to them. She stood up in turn, and took matters in hand.

“The best way to find them is to know where they are bound to go at one point or another. For Hyejin, it was her cabinet, but she hasn't set foot there once this week ... "

“I know: Wheein still works in her workshop. I went there yesterday in desperation, and a cup of coffee had been left there, along with a drawing dated today. You just have to wait for them there. "

“The workshop, of course! But we can't wait for them there: the killers are probably already among us and could find us in the workshop. Then they would just have to wait with us as hostage, and they would kill all four of us. One of us would have to drop a note for Hwasa on the workshop desk, discreetly, while the other create a diversion. "

"It's a very good idea. I can create a diversion, but how can you be sure they won't follow you? "

Byeol thought for a moment. The question was relevant, the plan had to be infallible. She had an idea, dangerous, but she had to try everything for everything.

"We must succeed in making them believe that we have found the Queen. "

This was the best solution so that the assassins wouldn't follow her, however it would put Yongsun at great risk.

“I'm going to pretend to be Hwasa. I'm going to lock myself in her room and imitate her voice, I've always had a very flexible voice, I would cheat on them without any problem. But the assassins will have to find a way to get into the room to eliminate me, while they think I am the Queen. So you'll have to go there very quickly."

The Ambassador was terribly afraid for the pretty blonde, whom she already liked enormously and whom she could not bear to lose. But it was the best solution, it would give Hyejin time to find her word and find a solution to save herself.

•••  
The word was on the workbench, folded in half, it blended perfectly into the decor. Wheein hadn't had time to read it, and had joined Hyejin through the tunnel that led outside. She almost didn't notice that little piece of paper, when she just went by to pick up a map of the city's sewers and headlamps. Her studio was several dozen meters underground, but she had felt that the ambience of the palace had changed. Unless it was because of her power and intuition ?  
This week it had manifested in many forms. It had made her dodge objects, dig tunnels by thought, freeze a scarab that had scared the Queen, and even hovered above the ground for a fraction of a second. And from what she could read of Byeol's note, she was going to need her faculties for more than to make her guide laugh.

'HII IN IMMEDIATE DANGER.'

It was crisp and clear. They had to stay hidden. For a long time.

Hyejin immediately had a hundred reflexes after reading this word. She took a sheet of paper, a pencil, and wrote her will. Faster than its shadow, the crumpled paper became official, receiving the trace of a royal succession.

'... If I were to disappear or die suddenly, without descendants, I order that the power fail without question to my Ambassador, Moon Byeolyi, as well as to Kim Yongsun. They will reign in my place as long as I am not found, or if I'm dead, until death takes them away. In which case their descendants will inherit the crown ...'

This excerpt certifies it: she clearly saw the Council's new plan, and was determined to fail it. They wouldn't have her country. She would save the country against all odds. Wheein was tasked with depositing the makeshift will on the workbench where she had found the note, and then using her powers to close the underground which connected the gardens to the workshop, so they wouldn't know they escaped that way. She had more trouble than expected to channel her powers, the situation was far too stressful. Someone wanted to kill Hyejin. Eliminate her. Take her place. And she was reacting with such coolness, perfect clarity of mind! Wheein was mesmerized by her attitude. They made a bundle of their few possessions, and left without leaving a trace behind them.

As always, the Queen had a plan.


	9. Chapter 9

•••  
Hyejin and Wheein had been crossing the forest for three hours, according to the position of the sun. Or rather its absence: thick clouds had gathered in front of it and a thunderstorm seemed ready to break out anytime. Wheein had no idea where they were going, the Queen hadn't opened her mouth once after giving her the order to leave her will, and plug the tunnel. She was afraid of interrupting her in the course of her thoughts, and refrained from asking her the questions that burned her lips. First of all, where were they going? And why ? Even if the Councilors were planning an assassination, all she had to do was to get them arrested with the evidence Moonbyul must have found. Or even circulating with her close guard seemed to be enough. Why such an exile, which seemed to drive them into the mountain without a single shelter in sight? The capital had not even been visible since they entered the forest.

The rain suddenly began to fall, drop by drop at first, then downpours. Wheein's tears escaped her eyes at that moment. She was so frustrated: after weeks of hard work, her perfect battle plan became pointless. Without a Queen to defend it, her plan was irrelevant. It had been a long week since she discussed with her sister all these emotions mixed in her, a new feeling that she could not let go even though it had never been so intense. She needed help in the torrential rain. Hyejin's arm was the only one immediately accessible. Not repressing her heavy sobs, she clung to the young woman with all her body, with all her heart, letting all her emotions burst out. Alone, motionless, in the middle of a mountain path full of brambles, in the rain, the time had come.  
The skinship the young engineer needed so badly occurred: her power soared above them like an invisible umbrella. She linked her nervous system to Hyejin's, who instilled in her power the direction to take: an invisible platform lifted them off the ground, and for a few minutes, they were as in weightlessness, floating a meter above the ground, in each other's arms.  
The destination was reached too quickly according to Wheein, who experienced the feeling of warmth, comfort, and perhaps ... love, conveyed to her by the young brunette. IAnyways, the blonde hoped not to be mistaken.  
The shelter, which Wheein imagined boorish, was invisible to the naked eye from the cliff. You had to slip into a discreet breach, which led to a hallway visibly carved by hand centuries earlier. A scree of rock hid a door, the padlock of which was the size of a hand. Hwasa calmly pulled the key out of a secret pocket in her cloak, and the door opened without a single rustle of rust. The decorated hall was in perfect condition, and after a short visit, Wheein realized that the rest of the shelter was too. It was a rich palace, hidden in the heart of a mountain. It was fully equipped, and in less than a quarter hour the young women were installed in front of a fireplace with hot tea. Finally, Hyejin spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Wheein was stunned. She didn't understand this sudden turnaround. The Queen continued:

“I would have liked to continue working with you in a carefree way. But I just took you as an hostage in a situation that doesn't concern you. Here we are nowhere to be found, but only until an army of killers renders this landmark fallible, or until us can betray ourselves. And there is nothing we can do except wait. "

“Hyejin, stop it. I know you now, at least a little. I came with you knowingly, and I will stay with you until you get your throne back. Besides, I'm probably the best weapon and defense you can have at your disposal. "

The Queen was crying, in particular because of the accumulation of the last days, but especially of relief. They were together in this bad situation.

“Thanks, Wheein. Although it will probably take a little more magical training before you crush your opponents!"

She burst out laughing, and the engineer joined her. This moment of complicity brought out their common feelings, a mutual problem difficult to identify which invaded their moments. But they would obviously have plenty of time to analyze them.

•••  
Moon Byeol was a queen.  
This title, which she absolutely never considered having, was now hers. And she shared the throne with Kim Sun, the woman of her dreams. They ruled together like a perfectly legitimate royal couple. In fact, if the situation hadn't been so terrifying, the ex-Ambassador could almost have thought she was in Heaven.  
The Council no longer had any control over the situation. Yongsun took her new rank very seriously, and made the deputy advisers do whatever came their way. Moonbyul, more discreet, took care of the current affairs of the country, she was used to. But she was also trying to find Hwasa and Wheein, in the greatest secret. She had mandated the specialists who escorted them to the palace, and whom she had finally freed : Seoho, Leedo, Xion ... They had all volunteered. Out of 6, she had kept 4 for her and Yongsun's close guard. But two of them had gone to look for the two missing young women. Without showing, the new queen was very worried. Yet she knew deep down that her best friend - the real queen - couldn't be more secure. She had watched her fall in love with Sun's sister little by little, and Hyejin's top priority was never to endanger the people she loved. Byeol would have been much more scared if she was gone alone. But this rational certainty could not remove the doubt, the fear that gripped her. She wouldn't be really well until the two young women were within her sight.

The main concern of the kingdom, however, was not to seek them, at this time. The great Spring Ball was approaching, and the fireworks had to be canceled due to the torrential rain of the last few days. If these trivialities irritated Moonbyul to the highest degree, they were nevertheless to be taken very seriously. All the nobility of the country, but also of Japan and eastern China, would be present. It was the event of the year, which allowed Korea to demonstrate its power to its invading neighbors, and above all, to retain its ascendancy over them despite the claims of these kingdoms on Korean lands. Well, anyway, these festivities cheered Yongsun up and kept her from spending her days mourning Wheein. She was completely absorbed in the preparations.

•••  
Seoho and Youngjo had left at dawn so as not to be spotted by the Councilors' guards, especially Rubin's, the Council president. They are a little embarrassed, because even though they were both volunteers, they did not expect to be alone for this mission. They are so used to being together to work... After all the hardships they had gone through, the six young men had built an unfailing friendship.  
Well, all except Seoho and Youngjo, precisely. Seoho, the younger of the two, is very social and has formed the strongest bonds with all of the members. But with Youngjo, it had been love at first sight. He had fallen to the charm of his elder in less than a second, the time to meet his eyes, and for all these years, had never been able to create this bond of friendship. For Youngjo, Seoho was way too extroverted. He was so shy ... He had given up trying to seduce him long before he started. Anyways, this situation was difficult for the two boys.

The sky was gray, the weather foggy, and a light drizzle clouded their view. They had started walking four hours before, and had already entered the forest for a while. They were moving at a very steady pace, and a lunch break was in order: they were far enough up the mountain not to fear being spotted, and the sight assured them that they were not being followed. They set up their tarp under a tree with broad branches, and Seoho pulled out of his backpack some cookies he had taken from the palace, as well as sandwiches that would satisfy their appetite. Youngjo had just finished their makeshift shelter, perfectly waterproof, which would keep them dry for at least a few hours.

"Thanks for the cookies! Didn't you steal those at least?"  
Youngjo burst out laughing at the end of his sentence.

"Hey! Who do you think I am ?! I just borrowed them ..."  
Seoho had reinforced his mate's laughter with his embarrassed pout. His heart warmed so much to hear that laughter, his feelings were strained.

"If they're just borrowed, then I want one! They smell really good, not like you… You smell like a wet dog, Seoho!"

"I think you didn't smell yourself, Hyung ..."  
Now the two young men were rolling on the ground holding their stomachs, they were hilarious. This euphoria also came from their difficulty in containing all the affection they felt one for the other.

"You ... you're crushing me!"

"Oh! Yes, excuse me, Hyung."  
Seoho rolled onto his side to free his teammate's legs and arms.  
Suddenly, something hid the vision of the youngest. Youngjo had pulled him into a hug that carried all the frustration of the past few years. The younger one gradually allowed his muscles to relax to sink more into the embrace.  
Youngjo hadn't thought about it. He wouldn't have let this need for contact overwhelm him otherwise. But, Seoho surrendered in his arms, he was already having the best time of his life.

•••  
Yongsun was stuck in her thoughts. Night had fallen for several hours already, but she couldn't sleep. Sitting on the bench near the window, a ray of moonlight had appeared and lit her face. She thought of Wheein. Her most precious being. She didn't want to tell Byeol, who had been so withdrawn lately, and who must have missed the Queen as much as she did for Wheein. Yet, right now, she really needed her affection. Since the kiss she had given her, the young woman had not repeated the experience and the Ambassador had not asked her for more, sadly.

Moonbyul couldn't sleep and watched the face of the woman who shared her room. She wasn't crying that night. Her face looked thoughtful. She decided to get up, and join her on the bench.

"Sun, what are you thinking about?"  
This question caught the blonde off guard. But she decided to answer honestly.

"Us."

"I understand, the fact that we are Queens is really weird; and all these people who bother you around for the preparations for the ball, it must be hard to breathe, you can tell me when you want me to replace you, and... "

"I mean, the two of us."  
It was the Ambassador's turn to shoot a dumbfounded head.

"Oh."  
So Moonbyul leaned down and captured Yongsun's lips in a burning kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

•••  
"Moonbyul ... What are we doing?"  
Yongsun was lost. This kiss, she wanted it more than she could admit it to herself. And obviously, she wasn't the only one who waited for it. But it was so sudden ... Now that they were Queens, if word got out that they were having an affair together out of wedlock, it would have serious consequences.

“Don't worry, Sunnie. I have the situation in hand, there shouldn't be a problem with us ... doing this again. "

"What exactly are you trying to tell me?" 

"Well ... It could be ... About ... Anyway ... I might like you very much."   
Yongsun had never seen the Ambassador so embarrassed, and she thought she was absolutely adorable.  
She placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose with a crystalline laugh.

"I also think I like your company very much, Byeolyi. "  
The two young Queens embraced. The feelings in them were rushing, but for the first time, it was really very pleasant.  
Still in each other's arms, they fell asleep on the Ambassador's big bed.

They woke up much later, warmed by the first rays of sunlight that filtered through the curtains. They parted reluctantly, each one having to continue to get their occupations done as normally as possible, mobilizing as many Advisors as possible.

Yongsun walked over to the Emerald Room, a large meeting room covered in gilding and stone-green draperies that gave it that name. Despite the beauty of the place, she had come to hate it. Everyday, she went there early in the morning, and only came out late at night, after a whole day of fighting with the Councilors to organize the ball, which was to take place very soon. If this constant battle tired her, it had the benefit of taking Wheein away from her thoughts.

“Your Majesty, hello! Have you taken the time to think about what color of tableware would be ideal for the banquet? "  
Robin had entered the Salon as soon as he saw her cross the landing. He aimed to exhaust her to the maximum.

“Hello, Mr. Lee. In fact, I'm still hesitating between off-white and ecru. Pure white would make it look dirty under the room's lighting. "

“You are obviously right. Let's opt for an off-white, it will suit perfectly!"

“Well, in the end, I kinda think I would prefer ecru."  
Rubin sighed discreetly, he knew very well that she would contradict him on purpose at the slightest opportunity.

“Certainly, ma'am. What if we opened the day session? Take a seat, please, sit down. "

Yongsun didn't pay much attention to the oratory jousting raging about the flower arrangements, but a whisper she heard from her right alarmed her.  
Jinwoo, Rubin's assistant, was sitting next to her but had intentionally turned to her opposite side. He was whispering, to himself visibly, while reading a word that seemed to be written in a hurry. Jinwoo was hiding it as if his life depended on it and the Queen was enraged at not being able to read from where she was. What's more, Rubin once again assailed her with futile questions about the handbag dress code.

At lunch time, Yongsun waited for Jinwoo at the exit of the restrooms. It was certainly an unpleasant situation, but this place had the benefit of being far from prying ears who could compromise her plan. When the Counselor walked through the exit door, she stopped him with a wave of her hand. Taken aback, he almost screamed.

" Ma'am ! What are you doing here? "

"I do whatever I want, it's my palace until further notice. But I didn't come here for no reason. I need some paper and a pen to write a list of things for you to bring back to me. "

" How's that ? A shopping list ..? Of course, sorry madam - immediately madam. "  
As Yongsun expected, he took out of his pockets several papers which flew in all directions, and among them, the famous note she had seen this morning. She rushed to pick it up as Jinwoo, confused and stammering, turned burgundy red.

“In the end, I don't need anything. Thanks anyway !"  
She took off briskly, without turning around, and hid the paper in her skirt before he had time to come to his senses.

•••  
Moonbyul couldn't concentrate today. She had therefore decided to work from the office which furnished the second room of her suite. Plunged into an account book, she thought much more about the new situation she was experiencing with Yongsun than that of the country. Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open and the woman of her thoughts appeared in front of her, breathless and disheveled, simply charming. She shut the door as wildly as she had opened it and rushed over to Byeol, who rolled up her chair and stood up to face the newly arrived woman. Yongsun began to speak so quickly, a panicked look on his face, her eyes receding and silent, that the Queen couldn't understand a thing. She kissed her lips in a frenzy to silence her. Bonus, her whole body relaxed thanks to this impromptu contact. They gradually separated from each other, and Yongsun, much calmer, handed the hard-obtained piece of paper to the woman in front of her.

HII still not found.  
BTS is looking for her.  
Found body unidentified.  
HII dead?  
Request an answer as soon as possible.

"This is serious. We absolutely have to find Hyejin before them."  
Moonbyul had frozen over. She was terrified.

"I trust her. She's bound to be well hidden, and if she was really dead, Wheein wouldn't have left her ... right?"  
Yongsun was trying to convince herself. But she was probably right. The body was unidentified, so there was a good chance it wasn't her.  
Moonbyul hoped with all her might that Seoho and Youngjo would give her positive news soon.

•••  
The two guards had entered the forest for over 200 hours. They had taken as few breaks as possible, especially since for the past few days they felt followed. They had reached the foot of a mountain, the steep cliff of which seemed impenetrable. However, they were looking for the slightest loophole in order to sow their pursuers. So far they were more or less an hour ahead of them.  
Suddenly, Youngjo saw a shadow and ordered Seoho to flatten out in the thicket, very muddy, which allowed them to remain perfectly invisible. Lifting their heads a little, they spotted a hooded figure from the light rain, rather small, and above all, alone. She picked plants, choosing them carefully. Obviously, she hadn't seen them, and it was by no means their pursuer. After a few minutes of hesitation, they decided to follow her. She seemed to know where to go and how to navigate this mountain, and they needed shelter urgently. They skirted the cliff walls at a respectable distance from the young woman. But suddenly, Seoho slid a stone, and the mountain resonated. The guards froze, but the figure was already retracing its steps and soon discovered them. She opened wide astonished eyes, then grabbed them by the arm and dragged them firmly to a discreet opening in the rock, invisible unless being in front of it. She quickened her pace once she arrived in a corridor carved into the rock, to a carved door that seemed very out of place in the middle of all this stone. They were totally distraught, but she hurried them inside.

The interior was warm and tidy, which they badly needed after the thousands of gallons of rainwater they slept under the last few days. Most importantly, the woman who took off her scarf and cape was Queen Hwasa II.

"Hyejin !!! Who are these people ???"  
Wheein hurried out as soon as she saw the two intruders, dressed in black armor and drenched from head to toe.

"These are two of my personal guards, Seoho and Youngjo."  
She turned to the boys.

"You came to get me on order of Queen Moonbyul, didn't you?"

Youngjo was the first to speak.  
"Yes, Majesty. We were being followed elsewhere ... Did you see anyone suspicious?"

"The last few days I've been out as little as possible: I've heard people prowling around whispering. We have everything we need here, even sunlight, but I needed a little fresh air, and I doubt they'll show up in broad daylight. I'm sure it's BTS, sent by Rubin especially to make sure I don't come back. "

"Unfortunately, I can't contradict you. I think it would be safer to wait a few days before returning home."  
Seoho was quite worried for the Queen and confirmed with a nod of his head what Youngjo had just said.

Wheein suddenly twitched.  
"Hyejin? Are you really thinking about going back? It's so dangerous, it's much more reasonable to stay here. I'm sure Byeol and Sunnie are handling the situation wonderfully."

"We'll talk about that later, Wheeinie. I have a plan, you know that."

The two young women led the soldiers to a large and comfortable room, worthy of a luxury hotel, despite the fact that it had no windows. They also carried them a pot filled with a hot meal and dishes. They then left them alone so they could rest from the long week of research, agreeing to discuss serious business the next day.

After devouring the stew in the pot, Seoho took off his boots and rushed into the bathroom to clear the mud that was staining his skin. Once out, Youngjo went there in turn. When he got out, Seoho was in his underwear on the only bed in the room, already almost asleep. He layed down next to him, pulled the quilt over their bodies and hugged him. Of all this, what delighted him the most was to share this intimacy with him.

•••  
Hyejin joined Wheein in the kitchen, where the latter was making Jjajangmyeon, one of the Queen's favorite dishes. Night was already falling outside, and the roaring fire made their "house" very warm.  
The blonde served the noodles and covered them with black soybean paste sauce. She was about as good in cooking as in foreign languages, which is to say terribly bad; but it was still much better than Hyejin who had never touched a pan in her life.  
They both ate without appetite. Returning to the palace meant returning to a life of turmoil, fraught with death threats and preparations for war. And above all, their beautiful closeness, the intimacy they shared, would be taken away from them with the presence of Yongsun and Moonbyul.

"So, are you going to go back to the palace and become Queen again? All our efforts to hide will be wasted if you do this. They'll hire other killers, better if possible, to make sure you're not a problem for them anymore. "

“Wheein, I know that very well. Moreover, I think we should all stay here, all four of us. We would be much safer with 2 professional soldiers by our side, especially if they ended up finding us. But don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing, and I will return to the palace as soon as we are safe, the Koreans need me. "

“I'm afraid for you, Jinnie. Please don't let your love for your people hide the risks from you ... "

"Are you ... are you afraid for me?" "

" Of course. I care about you, really. Just like ... like a sister! "  
Wheein let out the nervous laugh of someone who didn't say anything funny, she still couldn't confess her growing feelings to the Queen. Especially since two other people were living under their roof.

" Oh I see. I also care a lot about you Wheein. I've never had a sister, but I think what I'm feeling goes beyond that ... Good night, sweet heart. "  
On that, Hyejin walked over to the room they shared since they discovered that they were both afraid of the darkness. Wheein, stunned, noticed that the Queen had not touched her bowl, a sign of great nervousness. Her words didn't make her hot or cold though, there was no way the young woman would love her back; she had no intention of deluding herself.  
After washing the dishes, she went to sleep on the sofa. Alone.


	11. Chapter 11

•••  
Byeol couldn't get to sleep that night, despite Yongsun's reassuring presence in her bed. It had been over a week since Seoho and Youngjo last gave news. She feared that they were caught by BTS, or worse, that they would get lost and slowly die with no resources and no one to save them. She achieved her training with them when she was a teenager, and she cared about them like brothers. But even more, she worried about Hyejin. Her rational mind suspected that she had a plan and that she was safe with Wheein, but the other part, her sentimental older sister side, worried that she was under a big tree, soaked and chilled, cold, at the mercy of all of the mountain predators.

"Are you sleeping ?"  
Yongsun whispered. She must have been disturbed because Byeol was really spinning in her bed like a caged lion.

"I can't ... Sorry I woke you up."

"You're thinking about Hyejin and Wheein aren't you? "

“I can't help myself… I need more information. I'll send Keonhee and Hwanwoong to find them tomorrow. "

“Byeolyi, stop. Everyone is fine and safe. Believe me, if it were otherwise, the Council would have bragged about it so much that it could not have been missed. No news is good news. Keep Keonhee and Hwanwoong close, you need them more than Hyejin in my opinion."

“You are probably right, Sunnie. Sorry ... I just feel like I'm Korea's worst Queen ever. "

Yongsun moved closer to the ex-Ambassador until their foreheads made contact.  
“Yet you are the best Queen ever in my eyes."

Byeol's response was none other than the smirk that had seduced Yongsun the first time she saw her. That charming smile. Except this time, the blonde did not hesitate and gently kissed those lips which were now hers.

•••  
Jinwoo visited Wheein's workshop every day, but no little paper note had appeared again since two weeks. On the other hand, the dust was accumulating a little more every day, so today, he took a bucket, a broom and a brush to make this super technicnological place a little bit more clean and presentable. Cleaning up really relaxed him, especially since Rubin was on so on edge these days... He was throwing contradictory orders all the time and preying on anyone who stayed near him for too long. More exactly, it meant that he was only attacking Jinwoo. Right now, Rubin was so agitated that he kept spreading little paper notes in front of certain palace doors in particular, which was a truly amazing coincidence! He had managed to sow 6 little paper notes in front of the room of one of the advisers during the day yesterday. Fortunately, Jinwoo was careful enough to pick them all up. What a lunatic... it was all moved.  
His broom stroke was quite effective, and in just three hours, the workshop was almost refurbished! He had even sorted Wheein's battle plans, which she had stored in a secret drawer, in alphabetical order. She would be glad if she could find them easily when she got home, wouldn't she? Sometimes Jinwoo thought to himself that he could have been a very ordinary housekeeper, he would have liked that. Maybe even a butler, to be able to stay with Rubin and make sure he never loses his things ...  
Suddenly, Rubin's voice crept into his brain and cried out, “JINWOO! WE ARE AT WAR! BE AT THE 11AM MEETING TOMORROW WITHOUT FAILURE! YOU ARE ALREADY WASTING ENOUGH OF MY TIME ! "  
But ... that was what Rubin shouted at him last night! Jinwoo had finished the soju glass bottoms and was a little confused but he finally remembered it! This time he wouldn't be late. As a precaution, he glanced at his watch: it was 12:13 p.m.

The doors of the Emerald Room swung open on a short, red-haired man as breathless as if he had just finished a marathon. The Council was gathered very solemnly around Moonbyul - crystal glasses had even been taken out - and the intruder 's arrival threw a polar chill on the already icy assembly.

"H- Hello ... I'm Jinwoo ... Sorry for ... uh ... for the delay ..."

“The Council started at 11am! "  
Rubin glared at him even harsher than usual. Jinwoo concluded that Rubin was "strafing" him with his gaze, which made him laugh a lot inside. So on the outside he let out a sort of rather unwelcome hog grunt. No one invited him to sit down. Embarrassed, flushed, breathless, and above all, standing, Jinwoo took the last available place, next to the Queen. The latter, in astonishment, addressed herself to him personally.

"Sir ... Jinwoo, is that it? Well you just took the place of Queen Yongsun, who should be there within an hour. "

"Oh, sorry, I'll give her back her seat as soon as she's here, trust me."   
Moonbyul held back the laughter that rose to his lips and closed the exchange with a simple smirk of approval. He was indeed the only Counselor to ease the atmosphere.

"Good, gentlemen: now that we are all here, it's time to get back to work." 

•••  
Youngjo and Seoho had just woken up, but they had no idea what time it was. Living in the heart of a mountain made it impossible to know the time of day at a glance at the sun. However, they were so rested that they must have slept much later than the usual. In the wardrobe were some light linen outfits, and they hesitated only a second before putting them on: they were so comfortable ... worthy of the Queen who lived there. Hungry, they made their way to the kitchen, identifying the way by the smell: a delicious steaming dish of rice and grilled almond tofu awaited them. Wheein was just setting the dishes on the table, and greeted them with a forced smile. She had big blue circles that indicated an uncomfortable night. They thanked her for cooking, she told them to wait until they taste. She sat down next to them to eat, and indeed, the rice was undercooked and the tofu burnt underneath; but they said nothing about it. They didn't see her often in the palace, but today they could recognize that she was not in her normal state. She looked like she was in a terrible mood, in fact.

"Queen Hwasa is still not awake. I hope with all my heart that she will apologize to you and me once 'Her Majesty' is up. See no harm in that but I will let you finish eating alone, you will find me in the library if needed. "  
She left with a furious step that she tried to hide. So there was a library in the mountain? The two boys looked at each other in amazement. It was literally a palace underground.

"I suggest that we do not disturb her under any circumstances, she looks like she's ready to bite !"  
Youngjo laughed, he clearly couldn't contradict Seoho.

Hyejin was hanging out in bed. It had been daylight outside for a long time, she knew it, she also heard Wheein making breakfast, smelled the burnt tofu; and even captured most of the conversation between the guards and her.  
The Queen had, according to her, only one fault: her fear of the dark paralyzed her. She had only slept a few hours, hardly, Wheein was the only one who could really reassure her in this moment. Despite a very great weariness due to her fatigue, she began to get up to go eat something. Seoho and Youngjo were on the bench, leaning on the table, in the middle of a chat which made them laugh a lot. They stopped abruptly when they saw their Queen Hwasa in a dressing gown, but she helped herself to breakfast without taking offense. She sat down on the other side of the table, so that she was in front of them, and started the conversation.

"Well. You may have noticed that I cannot return to the palace in that situation, even if I wanted to. It would be a sure way to get me killed, and I could say almost the same for you."

"You're right, but how will you let Queens Moonbyul and Yongsun know we're all okay ? Imagine they send other people to look for us, they would be in danger for nothing!"

"Youngjo is right, Ma'am. Before even thinking of us, the Queens must absolutely be reassured."

Hwasa nodded slowly, staring into space. She had pondered this question all night, but no plan stood out to her. Except maybe one, which was rather ... unrealistic.

"Guys, do you know where I can find Wheein? I may have a plan in which she'd be the lead actress."

Wheein had moved into the library, a huge room with walls over five meters high, carved into the rock; unlike the rest of the shelter. The room was shaped like a cone, and at the top was a stained glass window that let in sunlight. This light was reflected on the windows of the libraries, installed on all the walls except a small part, the entrance. They were 3 meters high, a ladder allowing access to the highest shelves. Miraculously, not a single book was dusty, like everything else in the cave for that matter, which was sure to come from a spell. In the center of the library, a garnet velvet sofa sat enthroned alongside two large armchairs of the same material. A bedside table matched with a reading lamp and completed the set. Wheein worked almost only in the living room, it was usually Hyejin who spent all her time here. This room was too "dizzying" for Wheein, but she had decided to recharge herself here, for a moment. The feeling of being very small would perhaps allow her to show a little more kindness towards her hosts. She picked up the book already opened on the bedside table and began to read it.  
Half a second later, Hyejin stormed into the room and rushed over to her. No sooner had she sat down on the sofa that she whispered words that were, to say the least, ... unexpected.

"Wheein, I'm sorry I said that last night. I totally understand why you reacted like this, I assumed you liked girls, but I was wrong ... Excuse me. I would like to withdraw everything I said: it was late and I had drunk some soju. Could we pretend yesterday's discussion don't exist? "  
Wheein was literally stunned. Her predictions came true, Hyejin didn't like her, she was under the influence of alcohol. Strangely, the news made her heart squeeze.

"Yeah, sure. I don't blame you, so you might as well forget about it."

"Great ... will you join us in the kitchen then? I have some sort of ... idea for a plan."

"Oh really? I'm coming. This book was particularly uninteresting anyway."

She put Pride and Prejudice in the English edition, released a few months ago, back on the bedside table. She didn't understood a word of it.


	12. Chapter 12

•••  
Hyejin and Wheein entered the kitchen, a look of hatred painted on both of their faces. They sitted side to side on the bench fronting the two guards. They were a little taken aback by the coldness that the young women showed each other, when they looked so close yesterday. Hwasa, as usual, spoke first.

"My plan involves me giving you a very ... personal information regarding Wheein. It turns out that the young woman you see in front of you is not only smart, she also has some sort of ... magical powers, under her innocent looks."

"Hyejin, I don't know what you are trying to do but I don't see what I could do even using my powers. I can control memories and float above the ground, but that's it."

"That's far from all : it's already more than enough. Come closer, I'll explain my plan to inform Moonbyul and keep us informed from here."  
The three of them leaned towards her instinctively, keenly aware of what was to follow.

"I wish Wheein will succeed in levitating an inanimate object. But not just any object: I need it to be some kind of box, almost as small as a case, as light as possible, and above all, impossible to open without having its key."

"I guess you and Moonbyul don't already have a key in common, so you can't replicate a lock or send a key without risking it being intercepted by someone with bad intentions. So I suggest a coded lock."

"Good, Seoho! Great idea."

"Hyejin, I could never fly an inanimate object to a particular destination. So far, I have only been able to control humans because they had a developed nervous system. In addition, I use their vital energy to maintaining the spell, mine only lasts a few minutes. "

"I don't see any other solution than training. You only discovered your powers recently, didn't you? I'm sure there are plenty of things we don't know and that you might find out. Are you ready to give it a try? "

"I… I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best."

"Perfect! Any other questions?"  
Youngjo, who had been silent until now, raised his hand like a schoolboy.

"Yes, I do. We are going to circulate an inanimate object, a box, through the forest and then through the city to the palace. So it is very likely that someone will intercept the box before it arrives to its destination ... What do you plan for this? "  
Hwasa was silent and thoughtful for a moment. The fire in the fireplace was starting to wane, but the mental energy of four people was boiling in this room, and she was finding it harder and harder to think coherently. As she was about to open her mouth, hesitantly, Wheein spoke for her.

"I may have a solution, which needs to be tested first. The other day, coming out of the shower, I put a towel around my body. I was lost in my thoughts and not feeling   
very well, and when I took it off, I noticed that part of my right side - from the chest to the navel - had disappeared. It was invisible. By the time the information rose to my brain, my body had reappeared, as it was. At the time, I thought it was due to lack of sleep, but it's worth making sure."

"Wheein! This is amazing! How could you not tell me about it! This might be the solution to all our problems!"

"Please, Majesty. Such magical power must not be easy to grasp. My older sister had powers too, although you obviously have ten times more than her, Miss Wheein. She suffered a lot from my parents' pressure. In fact, without my help, she would not have survived it."  
Seoho's expression reflected the horror that Hwasa and Wheein did not show. He was the first to intervene to clarify this poignant testimony.

"Youngjo ... It's terrible, I didn't know your sister had powers ... Is it because of the accident that she ... lost them?"

"Yes Youngjo, tell us more if you can ... I don't mean to be intrusive, but I had never heard of other people with powers like mine other than in tales."

"Of course, Miss Wheein. I understand, and then you may as well know. We're going through this together."

•••  
Wheein stood up, made tea, brought a plate of biscuits and some pillows for everyone. She took the opportunity to rekindle the fire that was declining at the end of the afternoon, then came back to sit with the cups full. She was ready to discover the story of this person who shared something with her.

"My sister was born without powers, and grew up without any manifestation of them until she was about 15. She was particularly intelligent, very logical. At first, no one really noticed, she was just able to modify the memory of my parents very slightly and probably mine too. For example, she would make us forget what we had eaten the previous evening just to be able to eat the same thing again if she liked it. She told me as soon as she noticed, because as I'm pretty close to her in age things were easy between us. She was naturally cheerful and dynamic, impulsive too, but surprisingly unsociable. This was until my parents began to understand. She managed to lift herself off the ground by thought for a few seconds, made me forget whole parts of my existence to put them back into me just after. After a while, they finally realized her potential, and locked her in the house. She loved going to our town's school, even though she hadn't learned anything there for a long time; but she was locked in her room to work, to secure a profit for the family when she was sufficiently gifted. My parents asked her for an account of what she had learned during the day. She tried to run away at first, but they locked her door and put bars on her window. One day, she had made no progress, not even the slightest. My parents beat her very - way too - violently. We were poor and she would have been a great asset financially, but that didn't help. The next day, she still hadn't made a single step forward. Nor the following 15 days. She had lost all character, no longer had any strength and hardly ate. After a month, she managed to reach the lake on the edge of our garden because our father had inadvertently left the gate open. She put stones in her skirts and sank into them. I noticed his disappearance very quickly, and a hunch led me to the lake. I plunged into it without asking myself a question, and pulled her out of the water, unconscious. When she woke up, 3 days later, she had no more powers than I did."

Without realizing it, tears were falling from Youngjo's eyes. Wheein and Seoho's silent tears joined his. Hyejin was also sobbing. That kind of story couldn't be true, it was too unfair. But Hwasa was still intrigued by this story, and she emboldened to ask the question that burned her lips.

"Your parents had expectations about your sister's powers. Where did they come from? Did they know any other children with powers then?"

“In fact, I think they were walking blindly. In the countryside, this kind of scene happens once a century and everyone has their say in it. So much so that everything my parents heard came from rumors distorted a million times. They had a good intention initially, to help my sister in life by giving her time to develop her powers, but the people of the town, then of the region, came to give them advice, wanted demonstrations... She always refused, and I think my parents were under pressure. "

It was Wheein to speak this time. Her eyes weren't dry yet but she had sat up on the bench and seemed determined not to let herself down, in memory of this young woman.  
"Youngjo ... Could you tell me more about these hearsay, please?"

"Oh ... I'll tell you everything I thought I knew about magic before I met you. According to the legend, one person in every century is born with powers. Most of the time it is a woman. They often have an impressive longevity, and powers appear during teen years. This person is apparently doomed to wander the wrong side of the mirror, only helping the vilest or being a slave to the good. This magic cannot be held by 2 people at the same time until the final confrontation, which will destroy the whole Earth to see life reborn on a planet where all beings will be endowed with power. Oh, also: the sorceresses are condemned to never be able to recognize the feeling of love."

"I see ... I think I better not listen to these legends too closely, or I would sink into pessimism!"  
Wheein laughed, but her laugh was unnatural and no one laughed along with her. They knew that Youngjo's story had concrete implications for their lives, so far linked to Wheein's.

Night had fallen. After a few more questions, they ate a quick dinner made from last night's leftovers; and each went back to their room. Wheein hesitated a moment before entering Hyejin's room, but she remembered their discussion in the library and collapsed on the bed. She was exhausted from all these emotions. What had marked her the most was the part about love. She will never recognize it, and therefore never give it away. This observation, which should have reassured her, was bursting her chest. As if she wanted to give it to someone, but couldn't.

•••  
"Wheein? Are you sleeping?"  
Hyejin whispered and gently shook her arm. Wheein had fallen into a leaden sleep the moment the dark-haired young woman joined her in bed. Opening her eyes, she guessed that the day had not yet risen, but she felt as fit as after having slept a whole day.

"Let's say so far I was asleep. What's going on?"  
She had taken on a whispering tone too, in unconscious imitation, and their conversation already sounded like a confidence.

"Do you really believe in this doomsday legend? I can't help but think it's full of inconsistencies."

"Really? Like what? I didn't notice any ..."

"Well, normally, two magicians can't be alive at the same time; that's probably why there is about one magician per century, since they have a great longevity. But that doesn't work for you, since Youngjo's sister is still alive."

"That's right... But she's lost her powers, hasn't she? So I can have them now! Since only one being can have powers at a time!"

"Oh! So you have to find out how long ago her sister lost hers, to see if that matches yours coming in. Let's take care of that tomorrow."

"Yes, it's still time to sleep."  
But Wheein was no longer tired. She turned and went back in bed several times, hesitating. Sensing that Hwasa couldn't sleep either, she allowed herself to ask the question that was close to her heart.

"Hyejin... Do you think that this story of never acknowledging your romantic feelings is true? Maybe it was some nonsense from a magician unmoved by human charms."  
The brunette remained back to the blonde. A few minutes went by without her giving an answer, and Wheein ended up thinking that she had fallen asleep.

"No, Wheein. That sounds entirely true to me."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you found this chapter interesting! it's a little hard to understand the story from the start, but it will all become clearer afterwards. I'm really sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, I'm French and English is not my first language ... Also please feel free to leave comments ! I'd love to know if you like it :3


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